
I must reach the forest in time
Before the break of dawn each day
to pick some dreams
scattered in misty darkness.
I must reach before the sun crackles
through the leaves of the trees on which
dreams appear perching on the branches
through the night.
Dreams – half-dreamt, fully dreamt –
and those yet to be dreamt –
like babies, born and unborn,
crying out for attention,
making weird faces in sleep.
I pick what gets my fancy
Bits from my wrinkled past
The shadowy fragments of future
Mixing in twilight
Droplets of dew
Ready to vanish with sunrise.
Each day I come home with a bagful
Of dreams that drip through the day
For me and all.
Each night
I wait for the new dawn.
Sukrita Paul Kumar has published several collections of poems (“Without Margins”, “Poems Come Home”, “Dream Catcher” and many others). Her books have been published by HarperCollins, Penguin, Katha amongst others. Professionally, she holds a Chair at the University of Delhi. She was invited by the International Writing Programme, Iowa and has participated in several literary festivals in India and abroad.